Ch 6 Feudal Match
Earl Vance was troubled. Rather than politics or military affairs, it was his daughters.
What about them troubled him? The Earl's family boasted of incredible wealth and power, being blood related to those who once ruled the Continent. He should have given his successor a suitable education, with ideals that would never lose to others..
And yet, his successor, Leina, had run away. Elina still didn't seem to be able to capture her sister. If that went on, the abilities of the current Captain of the Royal Guard might get called into question.
In order to clear themselves from accusations of nepotism, she needed to achieve results, which had actually turned into another problem recently.
She had ended up being defeated by a magician called Nyx, Mistress of Flames. Not only that, but alas, the whole fight had been relayed throughout the Continent by the crystal balls, like the preliminary it was.
Despite how much the Earl loathed Queen's Blade, his daughter was clearly participating. Just that was enough for the others to plan his dethronement. Of course, he didn't intend to relinquish his seat just because he was asked to, but that was hardly the point.
[I have to make Elina achieve results. However, should I tell her to keep trying to capture Leina?]
According to the information from Echidna, the heiress seemed to be undergoing training from the Weapon Merchant Cattleya, one of the strongest swordswomen in the Continent.
Besides Leina and Elina being honorable successors from the bloodline of Vance's warriors, they were daughters of the Master Swordswoman Maria, who was said to be the strongest ever. Under an excellent teacher, their talent might as well bloom.
[Can the current Elina detain Leina? Honestly, it's rather hard to tell.]
"Anything worrying you?"
As if she was reading his mind, a female warrior with red hair called out to him.
"Hm. It's about Elina."
"I'd rather she continue her mission."
Even without saying much, she seemed to understand him perfectly. Being so considerate, she really resembled her mother.
"But, we can't have the Royal Guards with a Captain absent indefinitely."
Darrieux Kronenberg, the aide entrusted with taking care of Elina, was an excellent person. Still, if he had to say, he was a man who excelled more with the pen than with the sword.
When confronted with an assassin, he'd probably be of use only as a shield. However, the Kronenbergs were too important vassals for the Earl house, using them as mere shields would be too high a risk.
"If it's about the assassins, leave it to me, I made preparations."
"Ooh?"
Hearing the offer from the unusually talkative Claudette, he raised his brows.
He was aware that she secretly loved Elina. The true purpose behind the redhead being at the Earl Castle right then was checking up on Elina's wounds after the fight with Nyx. He had also heard that Claudette was the one who had told the blonde about Nyx so that she could earn some merits.
Since her younger sister had gotten injured due to her intel, there was no way she wouldn't be affected.
[Despite being a General, she's worried about her family... Honestly, her naiveté is quite clear. Maybe her saying expressly she had made preparations was something to conceal her real feelings. Thinking about the other's position, does she hide her feelings in the same manner as her mother?]
"Pray tell."
His mouth drew a faint smile as he turned to look at her.
***
"W-What did you say~?!"
At the Elina Shrine, one of the palaces of the Earl Castle, its mistress' voice echoed.
The voice came from the room of the Captain of the Royal Guards, a small room Kronenberg had been using while the former was absent.
"Please don't shout out like that. It's unbecoming."
He reproached Elina, the Captain of the Royal Guards, like a master would his student.
"How couldn't I?! Me and my sister, in a feudal match!"
Elina shouted even louder at Kronenberg in protest.
Among the commoners, even from different countries, it had always been the stuff of rumors: who was stronger, Claudette the Thundercloud General, Elina the Captain of the Royal Guard, or the current escapee Leina?
Since each of them had their strengths and weaknesses, one couldn't determine who was superior, plus above anything else, they themselves disliked to face each other.
[If possible, I don't want to cross swords with my sister.]
Those were Elina's true feelings, which she didn't intend to hide.
"The Earl also gave his permission to a feudal match, it can't be stopped by now."
"Well~, I'm not feeling like it~"
Elina looked up at the ceiling as she toyed with the seal in her hand.
"Wouldn't you like to, though? It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to prove to the average person that the Royal Guards aren't just for show."
Unlike the regular army, in most cases what one needed for enlisting into the royal guards was the letter of recommendation from a noble. It was a matter of course that the children of nobles who sought ties with the Earl made up for a good percentage of them; and that was precisely one of the causes why the regular army called the royal guards a decoration.
"Do we even need to bother with that?"
"I'm just saying, this is a good chance to solve the misunderstanding."
Of course, the actual Guards were an elite group who had received rigorous training, and its members boasted of belonging to the strongest forces. Compared with the regular army, that only outfitted the required number of soldiers with ready-made goods, many of the members here used exclusive high-quality armors, "mighty warriors" was more a fitting word for them.
Unfortunately, the Guards didn't usually go near the battlefields. That's why the citizens never have the chance to witness their abilities.
"So, I'd like your seal, Lady Elina."
He held out new documents on the table. It was a pile of forms, waiting for the captain's approval.
"Say, Kronenberg."
"Yes, Lady Elina?"
"Just how many forms are here? If it's just stamping my seal, I can leave it to Irma..."
When she saw the severe look Kronenberg was directing at her, Elina's voice gradually toned down.
"All the documents that needed a seal are finished. The ones remaining are those only a captain can process."
"Sigh~, I entrusted you with aaall~ the authority of a captain..."
Feeling like the room's atmosphere had subtly cooled down, Elina went quiet.
He was the third son of the Vice-Earl Kronenberg who ruled the northern part of the Earldom, also rumored to be skilled in magic manipulating cold air. There was nobody who had actually witnessed him using magic, but Elina could see where they were coming from, considering the insight of those eyes which gave her chills.
"By the way, about Irma?"
She hurried to change the subject. She couldn't very well feel relaxed with that stare right at her.
"As per your instructions, we handed her new clothes."
"Wha! B-But I wanted to see her change!"
"Isn't it a pity then."
His curt attitude only made Elina's frustrated appearance more noticeable.
"Don't tell me... you weren't there at the time, were you!"
"I wouldn't abuse my position of senior official for those kinds of acts. Could I ask you not to misjudge me so?"
Maybe Kronenberg was a bit angry, since he cracked the whip in his hand.
"Hm~, I get it. It's just, it really was a pity."
She pouted a bit. She did know he was a straight-laced man when it came to those things, to the point where she had her doubts about him being gay or not.
"Then, where is she now?"
"She's over there."
He made a subtle gesture towards the window.
"Playing with the cats in the courtyard again, huh."
"Isn't it fine? She must be tired after the long journey with you, Lady Elina."
"Oh my? Aren't you gracious."
"Yes, it's thanks to her that we can talk like this. I think I will extend some of my gratitude to her."
"Ooh~~~"
She couldn't suppress her voice of admiration; it was really unusual for Kronenberg to just go and praise someone else.
[This much of an evaluation is worth its weight in gold. Just for this, I might give Irma free time today.]
"Now then, Lady Elina. Please stamp the documents. if you don't hurry, the day of the feudal match will come, and you'll run out of time to capture Lady Leina."
Kronenberg rushed her, clapping his hands.
"Ok, ok, I got it~"
When he got all business-like, she was no match for him. And so, she proceeded to stamp the documents as instructed, however reluctant.
"I hope this ends soon, I have to go see Irma's new look."
"In fact, she does make for a fine carrot to dangle in front of you, Lady Elina."
"Just keep rubbing it in, will you?"
Elina answered with a sullen tone, focusing on her work.
***
It was the very day of the match.
After finishing her work as Captain of the Royal Guard under Kronenberg's supervision, Elina showed up with Irma at the grounds where the match would take place.
At Earl Vance's castle there were a number of combat arenas, built as requested by the Master Swordswoman Maria, and even after her death they were still being used for the Guards' military training.
The amphitheater arena chosen as the venue of today's fight was one of them. Its area was no more than 20 meters in diameter, and couldn't seat any more than 300 people.
[It probably was made as some personal practice field.]
It was a building which gave off too much of a cozy feeling to be called an arena.
The seats, usually housing but a few visitors, were that day crowded with the nobles who worked at the castle. The heat they gave off reached even the waiting room, directly below the auditorium.
Elina complained, in a bored tone of voice:
"Maybe I should have had new clothes made like yours, Irma?"
Irma was fanning her, but her hands stopped.
"E-Err... do I really have to go out in this?"
She had changed clothes because of a notification asking her to wear something more suitable for a Guard, replacing her usual maid uniform with clothes bearing a white tiger motif.
In order to make the most of her beautiful, slender legs, there was nothing covering her legs. It featured decorations with frills in both shoulders and around the waist, to represent her position as a personal attendant, yet the bad part was: there was just too little fabric, it ended up exposing a lot of skin.
"Are you dissatisfied? I think it suits you quite well."
"But... I... can't... calm down in this."
"Get used to it."
The blonde dismissed every possible complaint in just a few words.
[The clothes are worth it just to see her usually calm and composed self panicking with reddened cheeks.]
"They're clothes made so that anyone can tell at a glance if my maid's armed or not."
If someone was Elina's maid, they also were expected to participate in official events.
In line with what was usual at talks with mandataries, being able to show how one wasn't carrying a weapon with no visible hostility was one of the key elements towards successful meetings.
"It's not like I've been carrying weapons so far."
Irma lied, shrugging.
[So where did the knife that pierced Nyx' wand come from?]
Suppressing her urges to press the subject on, Elina just smiled brightly.
"That's for the others to judge, not you."
Irma rubbed her thighs together as if troubled. Elina cooed at that: *giggle*.
"I wonder if it's about time for the match."
The blonde stood up slowly, waving her hand at Irma.
"Here..."
Without missing a beat, the maid held out her spear. It was a specially made weapon, fitted with a wire for capturing purposes. Its abilities had been fully demonstrated in the fight against Tomoe back at Sheldan.
After receiving it from her attendant, she swung it for a bit. For a spear she hadn't wielded in a while, she felt no major problems.
Still, there was one doubt she had to clear regarding her maid.
"Say, Irma."
"What is it?"
"You've always been watching my fights, haven't you?"
It had been her who arranged the battle with Tomoe, and had she not been watching the Nyx fight, she'd never have been able to rush in and help.
"I think that's just to be expected from a personal attendant."
The expected answer brought a faint smile to the noble's lips. The person herself didn't know, but that smile really resembled her father's.
"Even considering that, weren't you watching a tad too eagerly?"
She suddenly leaned forward at Irma.
"If I think you're lying too much, I'll forbid you from wearing the mantle for the formal dress."
For Irma, self-conscious about her new costume, it'd be essential to wear a mantle, which was part of the formal dress all Guards were provided with. If she wore it, she could limit her current degree of exposure.
"Very well, I'll confess."
"Yeah, yeah, honesty is best."
"Actually, I'm interested in the Master Swordswoman's secret technique."
Elina frowned at her words.
[Talk about a blatant lie.]
Though she had no positive evidence regarding Irma's secret identity, she was convinced about her being a spy sent by her father.
[There should be no point in investigating Maria's techniques at this late hour.]
She wasn't in any mood to let her keep feigning ignorance.
"Look, Irma, we've known each other for quite a bit, so do be honest."
"I think I already am, though."
"I discovered your true identity a long time ago."
Hearing this, the maid's hands darted for the dagger sandwiched between her thighs... and found nothing; her new costume left her legs bare, after all. She wouldn't be hiding a knife anytime soon.
"M-My identity?"
"Aren't you... a secret agent sent by my father?"
"Huh?"
Irma couldn't very well hide her confusion.
"You were referred to by Kronenberg and he's even praising you now, can't get much more obvious."
"E-Eh?"
"I don't care if you keep playing dumb, but I have no intention of traveling with a liar."
The noble turned away from her, pouting.
"A-A liar?"
"Who's your master? My father, or me?"
Sulking, she asked without returning her gaze.
"My mistress is you, Elina."
"Can I believe in those words?"
"Of course."
Hearing Irma's answer, she put on a satisfied smile.
[If she's a spy, she wouldn't say so anyways. But, I've gotten a promise out of her. If Irma ever acts against me, I'll be able to mete out punishment without reserve.]
"As your mistress, I'll give you a small reward. At today's feudal match, you may sit at the viewing seat for the attendants."
At the border of the stage's arena, there were special seats only the attendants and those involved in the match could sit at.
"From there, you'll be able to watch the match between my sister and me to your heart's content. You might even see the Master Swordswoman's technique you're so interested in from up close."
Setting aside if that was true or not, in case anyone actually wanted to know about the technique, seeing it first-hand was the best option.
"An expert such as you can probably tell at a glance, huh?"
***
Taking in the thunderous shouts of joy, Elina stepped slowly into the arena where snow-white sand spread.
Before her was a female warrior with red hair, wielding a two-handed sword taller than she was, throwing out her chest, standing with an air of composure.
With well trained abs and breasts rigidly fixed in place, her figure could also be called sultry, but what drifted from her was the very dignified presence of a warrior.
If Elina was likened to a white tiger, she would be to a dragon. The Thundercloud General, Claudette.
She was known as the strongest among the 3 Vance sisters, and is Elina's opponent for the day.
"Know that I am sorry, for making you go along with this farce."
Drowned by the cheers, her voice only reached the blonde.
"If that's what you think, let's end this quickly."
Elina smiled brightly, gripping her spear.
"Hm."
Her sister nodded and turned her gaze to the VIP seats.
A man dressed in regal clothes was slowly making his way to a seat where he could overlook the entire arena.
This man was none other than the Earl Vance, ruler of that country and father of the two fighters in the arena.
As soon as he made to lift his right hand, the cheers stopped, replaced by a solemn silence. The audience awaited his words with bated breath.
"Both of you, give it your best effort, that is all."
The Earl signaled the beginning of the fight concisely, with no need for ornate words.
***
He narrowed his eyes, looking over the audience. Among them may lie hidden an assassin of the Fang sent by the Queen Aldra.
Lure the assassin, then bring them down.
The Earl approved of the extremely bold plan Claudette proposed: to make him into a decoy. The ability of the Thundercloud General was more than enough to trust her. Also, since the Captain of the Royal Guard, his usual bodyguard, was to leave for the sake of capturing Leina, it was a fact that they had to smoke the assassin out if they wanted to have some respite in the future.
"Am I being just a doting parent here?"
He sat down in a chair, whispering in self-mockery, soft enough for not even his attendant to hear.
[I'm entrusting you, with my life, Claudette.]
***
After the Earl declared the start of the fight, Claudette gripped her Thunder Clap. A jolt of lightning ran through it: *crackle!*
This was not a mere feudal match. As she fought Elina, she had to be paying attention to the audience, where an assassin may be hiding.
[It isn't an easy task. However, the Earl trusts me. I must reciprocate his trust.]
If the assassin didn't appear, she wouldn't be able to ensure the Earl's safety, so the mission to capture Leina would be transferred from the Guards to Claudette's troops. In that case, Elina wouldn't be allowed to leave the Earldom again.
For her sake, too, she had to defeat the assassin aiming at the Earl.
"The feudal match... starts now!"
Claudette announced the start of the battle, her own face reflected in the Thunder Clap, shining with lightning.
***
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